Baman and Bali

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Not currently on display at the V&A

Artist/Maker	Unknown
Place of origin	Kolkata (made)

Painting in opaque watercolour on paper, Vishnu as Baman, the dwarf avatar places his third foot on the head of demon king Bali. Bali was a devotee of Vishnu and granted three spaces of land to Baman. Baman covered the heaven and the earth with his two feet and asked where would he place his third foot. The Baman avatar has been depicted wearing peacock feather as his head-gear in the same style as Krishna.

Object details

Categories	Paintings Hinduism Religion Folk Art Bonita Trust Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project
Object type	Painting
Title	Baman and Bali (generic title)
Materials and techniques	Painted in opaque watercolour on paper Paint Opaque Watercolour Paper Painted
Brief description	Painting, Vishnu as Baman with foot on Bali's head, opaque watercolour on paper, Kalighat, Kolkata, ca. 1850-1870
Physical description	Painting in opaque watercolour on paper, Vishnu as Baman, the dwarf avatar places his third foot on the head of demon king Bali. Bali was a devotee of Vishnu and granted three spaces of land to Baman. Baman covered the heaven and the earth with his two feet and asked where would he place his third foot. The Baman avatar has been depicted wearing peacock feather as his head-gear in the same style as Krishna.
Content description	Vishnu as Baman, the dwarf avatar places his third foot on the head of demon king Bali. Bali was a devotee of Vishnu and granted three spaces of land to Baman. Baman covered the heaven and the earth with his two feet and asked where would he place his third foot.
Style	Kalighat
Subjects depicted	Hinduism Dwarf Demon Deity Vishnu Bali
Collection	South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number	D.417-1889

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Record created	June 30, 2003
Record URL	https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O81805/baman-and-bali-painting-unknown/

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